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Online Review Submission

Before you submit a publication please review the submission guidelines below to determine if your publication qualifies to be submitted through FastTrack for peer review OR through the Faculty Resource Library. If you have questions or need clarification about these guidelines please contact Chuck Carpenter at chuck.carpenter@usu.edu.

All submissions to FastTrack should include in-text citations and a reference list of those papers. The citations and reference list should conform to the style of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (http://www.apastyle.org/) as employed by the Journal of Extension.

FACTSHEET – A factsheet is a standalone informational document on a single topic intended for a statewide distribution to a general and non-technical audience. Factsheets are based on the published research Factsheets may include photos or illustrations and are limited to no more than four pages (two pages front and back). Factsheets generally require internal review by only one peer expert.

BULLETIN – A bulletin discusses technical subjects in greater depth than that of a fact sheet. It includes up-to-date information from the published research with citations, and it may focus on the author’s targeted research. Bulletins are written for a specific audience such as home canners, producers, growers, researchers, etc. The subject is broader or of greater length than a factsheet. The length is generally limited to no more than 20 pages, but can be as few as four pages. A bulletin will go through an internal review process by one or two technically qualified peers.by one or two technically qualified peers.

CURRICULUA – Curricula is written for teaching and training purposes. Curricula relates comprehensive, research-based information to practical techniques that the reader can use. Curricula may include support materials such as digital presentations, Web sites, handouts, etc. Curricula may be in the form of a manual, booklet, book, etc. Curricula will go through an internal review process by one or two technically qualified peers.

GUIDE/MANUAL – A guide or manual is comprised of multiple factsheets tied together by a common theme similar to what is found in an academic textbook. There may be a common author(s) for the guide and the entirety of its content, or the individual factsheets may be separately authored under the direction the guide’s editor(s). The guide’s author or editor should contact the Editor of FastTrack before hand to get approval for the guide and its general content and format, and to establish the peer review process. In the case of separately authored sheets, review by the guide’s editor may provide suitable peer review for acceptance through FastTrack. Outside reviewers will be assigned for guides having a common author(s), and for those factsheets authored by the guide’s editor. It is important that guide editors discuss with all authors the nature of the project and expectations for the individual submissions. In particular, it should be conveyed to authors that the entire guide will be submitted to FastTrack as a single document for review, and that final acceptance of their individual submissions will be on a time frame dependent on completion of the entire guide. That time frame will be longer than for a single factsheet or bulletin.

MISCELLANEOUS – This category is for materials that do not fit into the categories above. Examples of a miscellaneous publication may include: video, workshop proceedings, handouts, CD-ROM and multimedia presentations, etc. If the materials are instructional in nature, they may be considered for peer review as established through the Editor of FastTrack.

Videos – Instructional video will generally not be considered for peer review as a stand-alone scholarly output. Rather, it is preferred that a fact sheet be submitted for peer review, and instructional video developed later under editorial supervision as an auxiliary media format to increase impact of the fact sheet. Production of instructional video affiliated with a Fact Sheet will be considered creative activity, and the impact of the video should be documented relative to the clients reached and the learning outcomes achieved. For reporting purposes, the instructional videos may be entered into the 'Publications/Intellectual Contributions' screen of Digital Measures and typed as 'Miscellaneous – Extension', but the video should not be categorized as peer reviewed because that credit will be awarded to the affiliated fact sheet.

Promotional or documentary materials – Promotional or documentary materials will be considered creative outputs, but will not undergo peer review. Those materials and their production should be vetted through Marketing and Communications to ensure a consistent and quality product and to assist with acquiring feedback regarding their impact relative to the intended purpose.

The Faculty Resource Library is a sharing forum where faculty members can post resources such as handouts, newsletters, PowerPoint presentations, and videos. Materials are submitted to Extension Marketing where they undergo internal administrative review for potential usefulness, but are not peer reviewed for their content.